Have you ever tasted a dirt dessert? Children who participate in Northlake Nature Center’s educational programs have enjoyed every bite. The dirt dessert is a delectable culinary delight that represents the structure and inhabitants of healthy soil, both visually and palatably. Ground Oreos are the topsoil; blended vanilla wafers, the sand; broken wafer pieces represent little pieces of wood; gummy worms or Twizzlers are the worms; and emptied pixie sticks, mixed together, represent the mold. A mini soil ecosystem is created inside a transparent plastic cup.

The youth educational programs include amphibians and reptiles. Participants learn about our common frogs, toads, lizards, snakes and turtles, and play a scavenger game to find them. They can learn to track native wildlife and create animal tracks in sand. The list of activities includes a study of beavers, birds, bugs and insects, fish, and includes fossils, preservation and conservation, recycling, and identifying trees and wildflowers.

“We offer a variety of programs that speak to the needs of the participants. Most include an art component and nature hike,” McNeill added. “We stress the important of programs designed for each specific group as we make them available to children between the ages of 6-18. We also offer off-site programs. Our trained naturalists guide the programs for children. We had one Girl Scout volunteer earn her Girl Scout Gold Award by creating a handout filled with activities for children as they hike through the park. She titled it ‘Kids in the Wild.’ It is available on our website.”

NNC is also introducing an adults-only event titled “Moonlight Hike and Snow and Ice.” The event, being offered June 22 at 8 p.m., is a guided, 1-mile, moonlight stroll on several trails throughout the center, enabling participants to experience the sights and sounds of nature at night. The quiet walk will include a walk on the Magnolia Trail boardwalk to the Clubhouse Trail to the Long Leaf Pine Train, then back on the Old Forest Train and the Eagle Trails.

“We will cross the Beaver Pond stopping at all the Interpretative Centers for observation,” McNeill explained. "Then we will refresh in the Pavilion for special ice treats provided by our partners, The Shiver Shack."

This event is free to members, $5 to nonmembers. For information on any of the programs at NNC, call 985.626.1238 or email Rue@northlakenature.org.